Wheat-steamer.



K. DOUGAN. WHEAT SIEAMER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14,1906.

PATENTED JUNE, 23,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i mnldy 20 11 on, I j @19 dill /01.5751 4414 l 4 {I KENNEDY DOUGANQ OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.-

WHEAT-STEAMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1308-.

Application filed November 14, 1906. Serial No. 343,333.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,.KENNEDYDOUGAN, a

:citizen of' the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheat- Steamers; and Idolowing-to be a full, clear, and exact descri lr ereby declare the foltion of the invention, such as will enab others skilled in the art to which it appertalns to make and use the same.

to a predetermined amount by an automaticfeed device, and while the wheat is being steamed is-fed through the steamer in a continuous stream by the devices which have a feeding capacity greatly in excess of that of the automatic feed governorand, hence, discharges thesteamed wheat in a continuous streamat the same rate per unit of time that it is delivered by the automatic feed governor. .Otherwise stated, the flow of the wheat is regulated entirely by the automatic feed governor, and theagitating and'feedmg devices within the steamer continue the feed of the wheat through the steamer and from the steamer at the same .rate that it is introduced intothe steamer, regardless of v the amount-of wheat per unit of time introduced in the steamer-by said automatic feed governor.

This invention is directed particularly to the improvement ,of steamers of this type and has-for its particular object to impgove the same in the several particulars hereinafter-noted. The invention-consists of the novel devices-and;combinationsof devices hereinafter described land; defined in the claims.

The invention i anymg i ndloate like drawings, wherein "like characters- Referring to the drawings, Figure 1'is a view principally in vertical section, on'the line m w of Fig. 3, with some'parts in diagram and some parts in full, showing a steamer or steaming apparatus embodying my present invention; Fig. 2 is a right end elevation of the steamer shown in Fig. -1, with the automatic feed governor and certain other parts being removed and some parts being broken away Fig. 3 is a v'ertical'section taken on -5 the ine m m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail in. section, taken on the line as x of Fi 1. Fig.

5 is a transverse vertical section ta won the line a m of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a detail'in elevation, showing one of the supporting brackets, for the case or shell of the steamer.

The shell or case of the steamer is preferably made upchiefly of a long horizontally dis osed imperforate sheet metal cylinder 1, which at its receiving end has a fixed head2 and at its delivery end has a fixed head 3, the latter of which is preferably formed-with a rigidly secured laterally offset inner plate 3. The head 3' hasa central bearing sleeve 4.

The head is provided with a large axial inlet dpassage 5', into which leads the 0 on inner en of thetrough-like bottom of a long feed hopper 6. The closed outer end of the hopper 6 is rigidly secured to one-of a airof supporting brackets 7, the other-of which brac s5 -ets is rigidly secured to the other fixed head 3. These brackets7- are adapted to be-thus secured with their feet ortions extended either downward, upward? or to either-side, and thereby serve .to support the casing and hopper either from a floor, from a ceiling or from a wall. Any other suitable supplemental supporting device may, of course, -be employed for supporting the casing and he I per .of the steamer, and forthat matter, ti de said casing and hop er maybe supported-entirel by any. suita he means. j

T e wheat is preferably su plied to the hopper 6,. as'above indicated, om an automat1c feed governor or regulator, and'the 1 0 feed device which I prefer to employ is that v known to the trade as the Columbian first breakfe'ed governor, and which overnor is manufactured under and in accor ance with p U. S. Letters Patent #504,125, issued to me a a of date August 29, 1903, entitled Automatic s illustrated in the accome,

feed regulator and #558,900, issuedto me of date April 21,. 1906, entitled Governor for -feed"'*regulator.- This automatic govparts throughout the several:

ernor or-regulator is diagrammatically indino tends through the lower portion of the feed hopper 6 is provided with a spiral-feed blade 10, the inner end ofwhich terminates in the inlet passage 5. This spiral feed blade or worfn 10 constitutes what may be designated as a feed device to the steamer, or as a secondary feed device with respect to the automatic feed overnor. Secured to the shaft 9 just inwar of the casing head 2 and inlet passage 5, is a deflecting disk 11, the periphery of which is spaced apart'from the easing 1 and is provided withobliquely set prope ler blades 12, the important function of which will be hereinafter described. The inner ortions of these propeller blades 12 extend or some distance radiall along the inner surface of the disk 11, while the outer portions thereof extend outward ofand obliquely across the peripheral portion of said disk. I 1

Inward of the deflecting disk 11, the shaft 9 is provided with a s ider bracket '13, and a short distance inwar from the head 3 the 'said shaft is provided with a second but similar spider bracket 13. .To thearms of the spiral. agitatingblades 14. The said blades 14 extend nearl from end to end of the easing 1 and,. as s own, each extends spirally through 180 degrees.

' work close to the. inner surface of the casing (not shown) which w' on one end of said shaft.

1 and are given spiral travel in the same direction as the spiral feed blade 10, so that when the shaft 9 is rotated in the direction of the arrows marked thereon Fig. 1, the grain will be advanced in a direction from right toward the left, or from the receiving toward the delivery end of the casing. At

its delivery end, the casing 1 is provided with a peripheral outlet or discharge passa e 15 which opens into a de ending disc arge spout 16. The lower. en of the spout 16 is normally closed by a weighted valve or gate 17 that o ens under pressure of accumulated grain wit 'n the s out. Motion may be imparted to the shaft 9 b a power driven belt run over a pulley 18 Surrounding the main bodyportion of the 19 that is preferab the lowermost portion of t e annular chamber .21 formed between the casings 1 and 19 isan approximately horizontal; steam-conducting Theyare arranged to pipe 22 that is rovided with a plurality of aterally space annular branch pipes 23. The lower portions of the several annular branch pipes 23 open directly into the supply pipe 22, so that any water condensed from the steam may run directly into said pipe 22.

This construction is important because it permits complete draining of all of the heating pipes that are within the chamber 21 and, hence, prevents bursting of the pipes by freezing in cold weather; The numeral 24 indicates a drain pipe which, as shown, extends from the delivery end of the horizontal steam pi e 22 to any suitable point, and is preferab yprovided with a valve (not shown) for opening and closing the same.

Live steam from a suitable source,such as a boiler, (not shown) is conveyed to the outer end of the pipe 22 through a pipe 25, and a valve 26 is preferably applied to the outer end of the said pipe 22. into the upper portion of the receiving end of the casing 1 through a pipe 27 which, as shown, leads from the steam supply pipe 25 and is preferably provided with a valve. 28.

In the treatment of wheat in the so-called steamer it is frequently desirable to apply water thereto and, hence, I provide a water supplying device which, as shown, comprises an elevated hopper 29 that is connected to the delivery portion of the pipe 27 by a pipe 30. The pipe 30 is provided with a valve 31 which is, of course, closed when a supply of water within the steamer is not desired. The

numeral 32 indicates a water supply pipe which leads from a suitable source of water supply (not shown) and delivers into the hopper 29.

The operation of the apparatus described is substantially as follows: The wheat is sup lied to=the hopper 6 from the automatic f ed governor 8 in the predetermined desired (but variable at will) amount per unit of time and in an even stream, and by the action of the spiral feed blade or worm 10 is fed, as fast as it is received thereby, through the in- Steam is introduced let passage 5 and into the inner end of the casing 1, but is thrown a ainst the deflecting disk or plate 11, and by t e'latter is prevented from passing axially into the said casing. The ain delivered against the said deflecting disk 11 will be precipitated to the bottom of the casin and by the oblique propelling blades 12 wi be thrown into the reel containing; compartment or portion of said casing, w ere it will be en aged by the rapidly rotating reel and carrie toward the delivery end'of the casing and finally out through the peri heral outlet passage 15, under centrifuga force, and into the discharge spout 16,

from whence it may be delivered either directly or indirectly to the grinder. When the grain passes into the casing and becomes subject to the rapidly rotating spiral reel, it will be caused to rotate around the axis of 'the reel and under the action of centrifugal force will be spread out in'a thin sheet over I the inner surface of the c lindrical casing, so that each grain or partic e of wheat may be completely enveloped with steam. This insures thorough and even steaming or damp ening of the grain and, hence, for that reason is, of course, a very important feature.

The heat radiated into the casing from the 10 ply more or less additional heat to the gram and, furthermore, will greatly delaythe condensation of live steam within the casing of the steamer. The escape of live steam from the outletpassage and thence through the discharge spout 16 is prevented by a small body of wheat which is constantly maintained Within the said s out, under the ac tion of the weighted va ve 17. The steam pressure wlthin the casing of the steamer is, of course, very low and in fact, under the action of centrifugal force produced by the.

rapidly rotating reel, an increasing pressure is produced in the vicinit of the inner surface, of'theshell, while t e pressure at the axis of the shell is reduced and may, in some instances, even be below atmospheric pres sure. An esca e of steam through the inlet pas-' sage 5 an into the automatic feed governor would not only be wasteful, but would be very detrimental to the action of the governor.

In some prior devices it has been attempted to maintain a sealed inlet passage by an accumulation of wheat or grain in such passage, but in practice it is found that-inasmuch as no two feed devices can be adjusted to operate with exactly the same feedin action and, hence, that the secondary fee device would either operate too slowly, in which case the grain would back up and interfere with the action of the automatic feed governor; or the said secondary feed device would operate too fast, in which case an accumulation of ain .would not be maintained in" the in ct passage and, hence, the said inlet passage would not be sealed against the escape of steam. Also, weighted valves escape of steam outward through the said inlet passage.

ture.

The arrangementiof the valve steam supply pipev and'of "the valve-water supply pip'e This is a very important feapipe- 22 and annular branch pipes 23 will ap-- -let assage and an outlet passage,

have been employed in the inlet passages,

In this preferred into the casing of the steamer, makes it possible, at will, either to supply steam only to the casing, water only to the casing, .or the desired amount of water to be commin'gled with' the steam. It frequently happens in steaming wheat or other grain, that the moisture of the steam is not sufiicient pro erly dampen the grain.

at I claim is: I

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a casing havin an inlet passage and an outlet passage, '0 means .for delivering the grain into said casing,

means for introducing steam into said casing and a fan or blower within said casing adjacent to said inlet passage arranged to produce an inward pressure and revent the esca e of live steam through sai su stantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a casing having an ino a feed device for delivering grain into said casing through said inlet assa e, means within said casing for sprea ing t e'grain and feedin the same from the receiymg toward the de ivery end of said casing, means for introducing steam into said casing, and a fan or blower within said casing adjacent to said inlet passage arranged to produce an inward pressure and prevent the escape of steam rom said casing through said inlet passage, substantially as described.

3. In an ap aratus 'ofhe kind described, the 'combinatlon with an approximately horizontal casing having an axial inlet passage atone end and a suitable outlet passage inlet passage,

at its other end, of a conveyer arran ed.to

deliver grain into said casin throu said axial inlet passa e, means wit in sai casing for spreading t e ain and feedin the same from the receiving toward the de ivery end thereof, means for delivering steam into said casing, a deflecting disk or plate within said casing, adjacent to said axial inlet passage, but spaced at its peripheral portion inward of the shell'of said casing, and revolving propeller blades arranged to work in the vicinity of the periphery of said deflecting. plate, to feed the grain and to reduce an inward pressure, preventing t e escape of steam from said. casing through said inlet passa e, substantially as'described.

4. the combination with an approximately horizontal cylindrical casing having an axial inlet passage at one end and a eripheral n an apparatus of the kind described,

outlet passage at its other end, 0 a hop er opening at one end to' the said axial et passage, a rotary shaft extended axially through said casing, inlet passage and hopper, a spiral feed blade on said shaft arranged to deliver rain throu h said inlet passage, -a s iral ree within sai casing, carried by sai shaft, adeflecting disk carried by said shaft within said casing adjacent to said inlet passage, oblique propelling blades carried by the peripheral portion of -said deflecting disk, and means for introducing steam into said casing, substantially. as described.

5. The combination with a feed governor and the casing of a steamer, said casing hav ing an inlet passage at one end and an outlet passage at its other end, of a secondary feed device receiving from said feed governor and delivering through the inlet, passage of said casing, a spiral reel Working within said casing, a fan or blower within said casing arranged to produce an inward pressure preventing the esca e of steam from said' casing through sai inlet passage, and means for introducing steam into said casing, sub-. stantially as describ.ed.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with an approximately horizontal casing having an inlet passage at one end and an outlet passage at its other end, and provided with an annular chamber surrounding the intermediate body ortion ing toward the deliveryend thereof, an approximately horizonta steam pipe extendmg longitudinally through the lowermost portion of the annular chamber surrounding said casing, and a plurality of annular branch ipes within said annular chamber dingsaid casing and opening at their lower portions into the said horizontal steam pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KENNEDY noUeAN.

Witnesses:

MALIE HOEL, F. D. MERCHANT. 

